


Ballad to the Blue Paladin

by darkesky



Series: Voltron (!!!) [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Episode: s01e04 The Fall of the Castle of Lions, Gen, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)-centric, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25899295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkesky/pseuds/darkesky
Summary: Lance, surely, will die if the castle got taken away. Staying alive this long was a feat in itself. When she first saw him there amidst the debris, she thought he must be dead. It left her heart with a strange heaviness as she looked down at him. Lance was full of life, full of heart, and while he could stand to take things more seriously, he was the most heroic today.Well, him and Pidge will share that title. Lance saved the life of Coran, and from what it sounded like, he didn’t even think about it. And Coran hadn’t bonded with any of the paladins, not really. And Pidge would go save the universe on her lonesome because they couldn’t get the coms to work.---The castle gets attacked, and the paladins reflect on what Lance means for the team.
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Allura & Lance (Voltron), Coran & Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Lance & Blue Lion (Voltron), Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance & Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Voltron (!!!) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862047
Comments: 13
Kudos: 132





	1. Ballad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have wanted to watch part two of this episode for SO LONG but instead, i wrote a 7k fic before I know what happens next episode. You're welcome? But also, it was really fun to explore all of the paladins, and I enjoyed writing the fic, so no harm no foul.

**_Lance could talk Pidge out of this._ **

For that reason, they felt no shame in speaking with the team without Lance there. They don’t know how it would feel to say these words while he watched; they  _ knew  _ they wouldn’t be looking at him. 

The other day, Coran asked if all humans were as expressive as the three of them. They can’t remember the joke, but it was hilarious. All three of them were choking on their laughter, Pidge snorting, Hunk wheezing. As they tried to calm down, Shiro stared at them and said no. It was exclusive to them. 

But they all only expressed their happiness like that—loud, explosive. Sure, Pidge knew they sucked at keeping secrets. When they got angry, they threw things around, they yelled. When they got sad, they isolated themselves and got back to work because if their hands were moving, they felt  _ useful.  _ Uselessness might be the worst emotion in all of existence, and they felt that too often. 

They never saw Hunk angry, and they never saw Lance sad.

Right now, Hunk’s bottom lip trembled, but he bit down on it as they continued. More than anything, Hunk wanted to go home… So did Lance. The others didn’t get it. Shiro spent so much of his life in space now; it must feel like a home in its own way. He didn’t have a good relationship with his parents, if Pidge remembered right, and he had no intention of trying to change it. They kicked him out because of certain… Lifestyle choices. His family was confined to Pidge’s, so they didn’t understand why they reacted like this. 

And they didn’t know Keith well, but Keith didn’t appear to have a family waiting for him. Lance and Hunk both had somewhat large, extended families back home. All of them would love for the two of them to return. They’d be heralded as heroes, and they wouldn’t be allowed out of their sight…

Pidge wished they could feel that love once again.

The thought vanished as Keith pushed himself in front of them, shoving them back. “Are you  _ kidding  _ me? You can’t just leave!”

“Keith…” Shiro started.

Pidge didn’t need him to fight their battles. “Well, I can, and I will! You can find another Green Paladin! It took you, what? Like, five minutes to find me? Oh well, that’s so challenging! You might have to spend that much time again!”

“Pidge, the bond between paladins and lions aren’t that easy to replicate. Please—”

Hunk cut Allura off from her grandiose speech. “If going home is an option, and it sounds like it is, I… Kinda want to go home?” 

“You too?” Keith whirled around. “What about all these people? The Arusians? They’re  _ counting on us,  _ and you want to abandon them and their families for what?”

“For  _ my  _ family!” both Hunk and Pidge said at once.

They saw the way Keith’s shoulders started to shake with his anger. Shiro reached out and grabbed his shoulder, and he shoved him away so harshly, Shiro stumbled back from the blow. He stepped forward and pressed Pidge back against the wall. “You’re putting the lives of  _ two people  _ over the lives of  _ everyone else  _ in the entire galaxy—”

“Keith!” This time, Shiro didn’t let himself be shaken off. Instead, he grabbed Keith and yanked him back from Pidge, who felt like spitting on his face for good measure. “This isn’t how a team works!”

The words twisted Pidge’s stomach as they glanced at Hunk, who avoided their gaze. At the end of the day, they knew he’d back down and choose to stay… Lance would do the same. They were the only one who couldn’t be talked out of this.

Well, no. 

_ Lance  _ could talk Pidge out of this.

He’d do it in subtle ways, but by the end of the day, they’d be doubting their goal. He’d pull Pidge aside and make them promise to stay until the end of the day. They’d get the best day of their life… Or, at least, the best day lately. They’d laugh the whole day until they laid down, their stomach in stitches and aching. And then, they would realize they had a family here, with Shiro and Lance and—

Well, shit. The  _ idea  _ of Lance already started to talk Pidge out of this. They’d write him a note or something. And sure, he would be hurt by that. He’d wonder why he didn’t get an actual goodbye, but God knew Lance rivaled Hunk’s heart and Keith’s stubbornness. The combination would keep him from backing down as Hunk did, the combination would convince him to try and convince Pidge.

“If you want to leave,” Shiro started, “we won’t try to stop you.”

Their stomach tossed again. Lance would say something like that;  _ Matt  _ would say something like that. 

Holy shit, did they view Lance as a big brother figure in their life? Did they view  _ Shiro  _ as a big brother? No, they needed to get out right now. They needed to leave before the end of the day. Otherwise, they  _ wouldn’t  _ be leaving. 

“I’m sorry,” they said. To the team, to the Green Lion, to the  _ universe.  _ “I’m sorry, but my family needs me.”

“The universe needs you,” grumbled Keith, not quite ready to let this go. He turned on his heel and started stomping back to the Arusians, and  _ damn.  _ Keith would rather hang out with the Arusians despite hating  _ any kind  _ of social event than deal with Pidge. It twisted the knife deeper than Pidge would’ve imagined. When did they start caring about his opinion?

But it hurt worse when Hunk cleared his throat. “I’m, uh… I’m going to go check on Keith. Yeah.”

“Hunk, wait…” Pidge took a step towards him, ignoring the weight settling in their throat. Tears started to prick at the back of their eyes, and they pushed them away just as easily. They were  _ not  _ the kind of girl—boy—person who cried over this kind of shit! They were self-sufficient. They didn’t need anyone in their mission, in their life. 

But as they took a step forward, the castle seemed to  _ shatter. _

Pidge started to tumble to the ground, and Shiro managed to catch them before they collided. “Thanks—”

All of the paladins froze.

Because, in the back of their mind, a Lion started to roar. It felt wrong—it wasn’t Green. It wasn’t  _ their  _ Lion. Their vision went blank; their eyes threatened to roll back in their head. The image came through, clear. Blue, blue, blue… Despair, protectiveness, misery.  _ Save him, save him, save him… _

“Lance,” Pidge whispered.

Hunk didn’t say another word. He just started to run.

-

**_Lance could fight through anything._ **

Coran didn’t know any of the paladins that well. He made a point to keep himself separate from the rest of them. Allura called him out on that the other day, commenting on how he was closer with the paladins in the past. Coran offered a smile and said something nonsensically; there were perks to being the quirky, strange one of the team. He got a fond eye roll, and she moved on. 

He knew the answer, deep in his soul. He just didn’t understand the best way to articulate it out loud. The young princess already had so much on her plate, and he knew she fussed over the fate of this mission. Should they fail, they would answer to the death of the universe. 

How could he dump his issues on her? The truth of the matter, the truth he only admitted alone, when he no longer felt the need to act as a way to lighten the mood for the princess, was he didn’t want to lose any more paladins. 

The last paladins all perished in violent, brutal ways. Otherwise, they would have protected them from the Galra threat. Otherwise, the whole castle wouldn’t have been shut down, leaving Allura and Coran so, so alone. 

He couldn’t stand losing anyone else, so he kept himself distanced from the rest of the crew. His connection with Allura could not be denied—he never would let it be. Her father wanted him to watch over her to the best of his ability, and Allura never would let anyone hold her hand as she became a queen in her own right. No, the best he could do was make sure she still found light in the world. The best he could do was make sure Allura got a chance to be a teenager.

These  _ paladins,  _ though, were teenagers. He suspected Pidge to be the youngest in the crew; his voice still hadn’t deepened. But Lance, Hunk, and Keith couldn’t be considered adults yet, and Shiro must be considered young for his species. 

(And yes, Coran knew their names—he wasn’t a monster. But what would be easier to say aloud? Number Two died, or Keith died? Names carried weight; names carried memories. Numbers could be reduced down to simple digits and stats.)

“The crystal’s down,” Allura announced, breaking him out of his thoughts. She slid up next to him, standing closer as if seeking out comfort. He didn’t know how to offer it, not when he watched Shiro crouch down beside the unconscious Lance.

Hunk— _ Number Four’s  _ voice cracked dangerously. “D-does… Does he have a pulse?”

Number Five groped at his wrist for a few seconds, his features sealed off from the rest of them. Then, he let out a sigh of relief. “It’s there.”

“Oh, thank God.” Number Four reached up and hugged himself. He repeated himself, softer and more in control. “Thank God.”

“Coran, did you hear me?” Allura’s words rippled with panic, though, and when he turned to face her, he saw her illusion of calm shattering. “We can’t use that crystal anymore.”

“You’re worried about a  _ crystal  _ right now?” Keith suddenly shouted. “Lance could be dying—”

“Lance is not dying!” Pidge said quickly.

Allura’s head snapped back and forth between the group, trying to gauge the best response. Finally, she reached up and pressed at her eyes. He took over in her stead, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Or, at least, he  _ hoped  _ he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Number Three is a trooper—”

_ “Lance,”  _ Keith spat.

“Lance. I have the utmost faith he’ll pull through…” He paused, trying to come up with the best way to frame it.

However, she started speaking before he could try and save her from that responsibility. “I’m sorry I came off as callous, Keith. It’s just that… The crystal powers the castle. Without it, nothing is operational… Including our healing pods. And if we don’t get those up and running…”

The threat hung in the air, and everyone looked back at Lance.

Shiro still hadn’t pulled him up from the ground. He looked small, though, so close to Shiro. His skin lost some of that luster he was so proud of, looking sickly pale in between the grime and blood smeared there. He didn’t move beside the light rise and fall of his chest, barely visible underneath the armor. Chunks of plaster dug its way in his dark hair, dusting the locks. He would’ve been disgusted at how he looked.

Coran thought he knew Lance. Today, though, he saw new side after new side. He saw the boy who just wanted to return with his family, the desperate homesickness rattling through his body like a siren’s song. He saw the  _ paladin,  _ willing to sacrifice himself to save the universe… Or to save one man.

If Lance died, it would be for Coran.

“We need to get a new crystal,” Coran said after a few seconds. “But, to get a crystal, we’ll need a ship.”

“We can use the Lions!” Hunk suggested.

He shook his head. “They would’ve been sealed away in their hangars. With the power out…”

“My escape pod… Use that.” Pidge glanced at Keith for a second, and the two held eye contact, a hidden meaning passing between the two of them. Keith nodded once, and Pidge broke contact first, now seeking out Allura and Coran. “I left the bay door open to have a quicker escape.”

“We can use that…” Right as Shiro started to hatch a new plan, the king of the Arusians burst in. In his haste, it took a few seconds to decipher what he said. When the words finally rang out, the fragile sense of hope shattered again within the group. 

The Arusians needed help.

Lance needed help.

The castle needed help. 

“We need to split up,” Shiro said finally. 

Allura nodded. “Of course. Um… Hunk can accompany Coran to the nearest Balmera. Pidge can show them the way to the escape pod and then rejoin us. And I will go help the Arusians. Keith, would you…?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Lance.” Shiro gathered the boy in his arms, pushing to his feet. “And I’ll watch over the castle. Stay safe, everyone. We will form Voltron again.”

“When I say Vol, you say Tron,” Hunk murmured weakly.

-

**_Lance could calm down the Arusians._ **

Keith never really bonded with people. His teachers told him that, time after time. Even at the Garrison, it became a point of contention. Keith was a lone wolf, Keith was a solo act, Keith wasn’t a team player. It didn’t matter in the end; that lack of connection with other people led to him getting kicked out and abandoned, again and again and…

It didn’t matter. Keith could always outrun, outperform anyone he needed to, by himself. The reason he didn’t act with a team was because teams slowed individuals down. How would he be able to run away if they tied him down? How would he be able to protect himself if he needed to protect everyone else as well? How would he be able to do  _ anything  _ if he carried the weights of people like… Like  _ Lance. _

No, not like Lance.

Maybe like Lance?

The Arusians all fled around him, and their contact left his skin crawling. He wanted to move away from them and keep the most distant possible. Dealing with them when they insisted on cuddling and hugging came as a trial. Dealing with them as they screamed and fought and wailed presented a new challenge.

In the back of his mind, giving him a  _ throbbing  _ headache, was Red and Blue both calling out. Blue kept forcing the image of Lance into his mind, of Lance frail and fragile and  _ breaking,  _ of Lance barely being able to breathe. And Red spat fire into his veins, making him ready to fight and run and flee, but  _ where would he go? _

“Keith…” Allura reached out, but he jerked away before she could make contact. She gawked at him for a few seconds before schooling her expression. “Lance will be alright. Let’s focus on the mission at hand.”

“I  _ am  _ focused.” And at least he didn’t have a one-track mind. At least he didn’t value the castle over Lance, a dying member of their team. Who cared if they never gained access to the castle again…?

But then, they’d never get Voltron back, and if they didn’t get Voltron, they couldn’t defeat the Galra. He’d be sacrificing… He was putting the life of one person over the lives of everyone else in the entire galaxy. Goddamnit. He needed to apologize to Pidge; he had no right to chew him out like that. He just wanted to get back to his family, and while Keith doubted he could ever relate to such a sentiment, it didn’t mean he couldn’t let Pidge decide his own priorities.

For a second, a memory of Lance washed over him, and he almost lost his footing. Lance at the party, dazzling and charming as ever.  _ “We’re a team! We need a team chant! When I say Vol, you say Tron! Vol…?” _

Keith almost tripped again when they reached the Arusian village they visited not even a week ago. “Holy shit.”

“Keith…” She wanted to scold him, but she can’t find the heart to. Instead, the two took in the burning village with the screaming Arusians who refused to be calmed. And as he pushed them aside to get closer, only adding to the fear and the chaos, he could feel the way the smoke pushed its way down his throat. 

One of the Arusians lagged for a second, practically jumping onto his back. “Paladins! Save our village!”

His vision whited out.

On instinct, Keith practically threw them off him, lunging forward to put more and more space between the two of them. As the Arusian hit the ground, eyes wide, he stared at Keith as if he might be his worst enemy… As if he might be the Galra. 

But Keith wasn’t thinking. His skin thrummed where someone clung to him, held him down to the Earth, where someone expected him to conquer the world, and he  _ couldn’t, he couldn’t, he needed to start moving.  _

_ (Later, Allura will speak to Shiro about this. And Shiro will speak to Keith about this. And he’ll spend time in that goddamn room, looking at constellations he didn’t recognize, until Lance staggered in, half-awake, and somehow, impossibly, made him feel good about himself again. Feel good about being the monster who threw a suffering villager to the ground due to their own mistakes.) _

“Paladin!” Real anger sparked in the king’s voice, and it sent Keith flying faster, faster. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t be a hero, or, at least, he couldn’t be a hero in front of everyone else. They all would pick someone better, and he’d end up…

No, he could do something right. He could be a hero, he could prove himself. 

“I’ll go in for a closer view!” He called to Allura as he saw Galra Sentries swaying in the distance, just beyond the burning roofs and the smoke gathered around them, thick and heavy and impossible to see through just right. 

Allura made a last-ditch attempt to grab at him, but he ran forward regardless. 

He burst through the underbrush surrounding the houses, ignoring the way the flames attacked his armor. In a way, the voice of Red became happier, nearing the combat. His headache softened as he neared the Galra, and he slipped out his bayard almost on instinct. 

Then, he paused. 

And then, he swung at one of the ‘sentries.’ With one of them chopped up and readied to be pulled back, he finally found his voice again. “No. No, no, no. Fuck. Allura!”

“Keith?”

He darted back the way he came and threw it down at her feet. She yelped and jumped back before her expression smoothed out. “They’re… Decoys? Why would they do that…”

The answer came to both of them at the same time.

“The castle!”

“They just  _ wanted  _ to separate us and thin the castle’s defenses! And they succeeded! God, Shiro and Lance are sitting ducks! Fuck!” He kicked the decoy straight back into one of the flames.

Allura turned to the Arusian King. “There has been no attack… Will you need help extinguishing the flames? I’d suggest the Blue Lion, but…”

“But the Blue Paladin is dying?” Keith suggested. “We need to get back  _ now.” _

“Go.” The Arusian King’s eyes turned dark, though. “We will have to discuss the Arusian involvement in the Voltron alliance again.”

_ Fuck. _

Lance could’ve stopped the Arusians from wanting to leave the alliance, the  _ newly-formed alliance,  _ but of course, Keith fucked it up. 

It didn’t matter. He needed to get back to the castle.

-

**_Lance could enjoy Coran’s piloting._ **

Right now, Hunk’s accomplishment of not puking might end. Lance  _ (and thinking about his best friend made him want to puke more)  _ made a point to make some sort of poster. Pidge thought it was hilarious considering he could’ve made it a hologram. Keith didn’t get the appeal, and both Shiro and Allura rolled their eyes at the sign.

He went six days without puking as the poster proclaimed. Or,  _ ‘6 Days Puke-Free!’  _ Lance wrote it in his surprisingly delicate handwriting, and Hunk passed by it every time he went to the kitchen to help Coran make meals. And every time, he smiled at the work his best friend put in. It might be one of the worst jokes in invented history, but it also solved one of Hunk’s biggest problems as of late.

He never thought  _ time  _ would be such an issue, but Hunk was struggling with the hours on this particular planet. The sun rose and fell too fast, and every time he thought he adjusted, he woke up in the middle of the night. Space would inflict a similar hell on him; they all kept classes at the Garrison, reminding them daylight and nighttime ceased to exist the second you entered the cold vacuum of space. 

“Wait, wait!” he called out above the roar in his ears. The whole time Coran was behind the wheel, he jerked them back and forth in an effort to get to the planet as fast as possible. He almost wished Keith or Shiro piloted instead; both of them received top marks as pilots for a reason. Or they could’ve ridden in Yellow, and he loved Yellow. “This isn’t a planet?”

“It’s a Balmera!” Coran said as if that cleared up anything. 

Hunk leaned forward, trying to focus on the way space blurred around him… Nope, bad idea. His stomach gurgled loud enough Coran shot him a concerned look, and he collapsed back in the seat. Okay, stationary object… He turned away from the windows (despite them being on  _ every side! Who built this thing?)  _ and fixated on a bag. “But… It’s the size of a planet? It looks like a planet? If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck…?”

“We aren’t talking about ducks, Number Four!” Oh, they’re back to numbers? Hunk thought they might be bonding. Well, bonding might be too much of a stretch. Everything they did happened because of the castle needing the crystal yesterday, so every action they made here carried dire consequences. “We’re talking about Balmeras! They’re ancient animals! They’re petrified, but they’re still very alive!”

“That… Sounds horrifying.” He squeezed his eyes shut. Okay, stationary objects weren’t getting it. That, or the mental image of being frozen solid and then colonies of people living on you while you felt every single movement because you were still  _ alive… _ Well, it didn’t help in any way.

“They’re a sight to behold, though. I have yet to see something so beautiful… No…” The last words escaped on his last breath, completely changing the conversation. 

It perked Hunk up, and he lifted his head to glance out the window. “What? What happened?”

“They… The Galra  _ destroyed it.”  _ For the first time, the breakneck speed faded for a second as Coran took in the damaged world—not world. Hunk had to remind himself, this wasn’t a planet. This was a living, breathing creature who somehow left itself vulnerable for anyone to manipulate. He couldn’t imagine the terror it must feel when it considered what others might do to it.

No, he wasn’t going to puke. But he found himself wiping away tears, staring down at the remains of the planet. 

“It’s a mining colony now,” Coran got out. 

Hunk glanced over at the hologram Coran pulled up when they first started this flight. It glimmered with beauty, and while he thought it was a planet, he could see the beautiful, proud creature now. And now, reduced to nothing but a mining colony, he wondered how it felt. Disgusting? Violated?

The oath fluttered to the forefront of his mind before he could stop it, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He’d find a way to help the Balmera. Someone had to look out for those who didn’t; that’s what Voltron was about, right? Not just stopping the Galra, but giving the little guys voices. Like… Like Spider-Man.

Lance would love to hear that… He dug his fingers into the arms of the chair, and he forced the words to come out. “Did it… Hurt the Balmera?”

“I imagine it must’ve. Little is known about them as a species… They were fairly private before they got fossilized, but for someone to turn your insides out like that… I apologize, Number Four.” Coran cut himself off before he could go farther. “I forgot about your weak stomach for a second.”

“It’s fine.” He offered a wobbly smile, and he hoped he didn’t look as green as he felt. Then, he cleared his throat again. Speaking shouldn’t be  _ this  _ difficult, but he didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “Hey, Coran, do you think…”

“Do I think…?”

“Is there a way to help this Balmera?” And as he studied Coran’s expression, he saw the exact second his expression shifted. “Oh…”

“But there are other Balmera out there. There is more to protect. Don’t worry, Number Four—Don’t worry, Hunk.” He offered a dazzling smile after his correction, and Hunk smiled down at his lap.

And then, a shadow fell above their ship, and he whipped his head up. “Uh, Coran…? I think the Galra might’ve found us.”

A second later, the jet hailed them. Coran scrambled to respond, still nudging the ship towards Balmera. They began to pick up speed, though, instead of hovering and looking at the destroyed remains of the creature. “We don’t really need to land. Uh, we’re just taking a quick look around.”

_ “Unidentified craft, land immediately and prepare to be boarded.” _

“I tried,” Coran muttered. “Hold on.”

“Wait, Coran…” 

But the ship lurched forward, and he gagged on whatever he wanted to say next. He knew it was a necessity, but Hunk started to look around for anything which might stabilize his stomach. A stationary object, a moving object, closing his eyes…

“Hey, Coran…” He managed to choke out.

“Yes?”

“Remind Lance to fix the sign.” And he threw up.

-

**_Lance could have won that fight._ **

Maybe Shiro was being too generous, but he kept thinking about it nonetheless. If Lance was conscious, the two of them could’ve taken Sendak on. He already did a good—but not good enough—job at trying to stop him from invading the castle. The only reason it failed was because he tunnel-visioned and forgot to protect Lance; if Lance could have protected himself, they could’ve beaten Sendak.

Now, though, the Galra commander forced him to walk to his own imprisonment, watching Lance’s prone form bounce from the rough handling. One of the various soldiers threw him over their shoulder, and when Shiro came to consciousness, he found he got a similar treatment. 

But Sendak needed to go off and do something more important than transport prisoners, he supposed. And now, five Galra guards jabbed at him with their weapons, forcing him to keep walking, and he tried to keep his eyes trained on Lance. Otherwise, he’d try and fight his way out. He couldn’t handle another imprisonment, not like that.

Even the thought made his prosthetic burn and ache as a reminder. And while some days he imagined it was part of his own flesh and bone, today didn’t feel like that. One passing comment from Sendak made it so. He missed being unaffected by this war; if he hadn’t lost his arm, in a way, it felt like he could still walk away. Whether or not he would’ve chosen to walk away didn’t matter. He would’ve had the  _ choice. _

He wondered if Lance would have any scars from the explosion  _ (if he lived).  _

He pushed away both of those thoughts when the guard let him slip a little, and Lance almost landed on the ground, headfirst. Shiro bit out a shout. “Hey!”

“What? Concerned about the broken paladin?” the soldier asked, letting out a loud laugh. The others did the same, cooing at his softness. “He won’t be alive long, so it won’t be much of an issue.”

“Lance’s a better man than you could ever be,” Shiro spat at him. He ignored one of the weapons being rammed into his shoulder hard enough to bruise. They won’t hit his face; he doesn’t know why. Maybe Sendak wanted to inflict every injury on Shiro, and if someone else did so, it’d lost some of the effect.

He wanted to fight his way out, but Lance couldn’t fight his way out. He needed to be patient. He needed to assess the situation for what it was rather than giving in to the fear of getting stuck in the same situation as before… Could he even be that afraid? He wasn’t Pidge’s family who never received the chance to return from their own hell.

Lance groaned in pain as the soldier jostled him again, and his mouth fell open. He made a gagging noise before some wet, crimson slipped through his lips. Shiro’s blood burned. The position they held Lance couldn’t have been good for him. He needed proper care! And yet, they continued to treat him like a slab of meat.

Though, considering they were Galra, they  _ did  _ consider Lance as nothing more than that. 

As they shoved him into something he could only describe as a control room, Shiro found himself regretting not exploring the castle more again. They forced him back against the railing and clipped handcuffs on before throwing Lance down. The boy groaned before falling still again. His heart stopped until he could make out the brief fluttering of his chest. Then, he backed up and watched the Galra soldiers laugh and leave them.

The one carrying Lance before paused. “Don’t worry. It won’t be long until Sendak returns.”

“Great,” Shiro murmured before shifting forward. With his hands bound behind his back, he couldn’t feel for Lance’s pulse. He settled on inching as close as possible. Then, before he could regret it, he swung out his leg to the other side of Lance to push the unconscious boy closer to him. That way, he could at least protect him. 

Though he wasn’t doing a great job of protecting anyone these days. He lost the Holt family long ago, and Pidge—Katie—wouldn’t be subject to such horrors if he hadn’t done just that. And while she seemed to handle it without any hesitation or fear, he’d be insane to think she wasn’t scared. 

Who on the team  _ wasn’t  _ scared?

Shiro was their oldest member as they constantly reminded him with the Space Dad jokes. But, at the end of the day, he wasn’t even all that old. He had, maybe, three years on Pidge. He barely turned twenty; he wouldn’t even be able to legally drink until February! But all of them looked to him as if he held some sort of answer to the universe.

The best he could provide was his philosophy. He wanted to do the most good for the most people. He wanted to help more than hurt. He wanted to become greater than the Galra weapon they tried to turn him into. 

Right now, though, all of that philosophy appeared useless. What good did it do Lance? Lance, who acted as a hero despite Shiro thinking he wasn’t capable of such an act? He sacrificed himself for Coran; he wondered if Lance thought through the risks. Did he know he might not walk away from that one? Or did something in him  _ scream  _ to protect someone he cared about, and he took the blow?

He could stand to be more like Lance.

He analyzed every risk at any given point; that was what he did today. And he wasn’t wrong, the Galra did take advantage of their distraction to invade. But, he missed out on a celebration because he wanted to remain vigilant. He hadn’t had true, unworried fun in such a long time… Even the game of Go Fish with the other Paladins the other night happened because of the greater threat hanging over their heads.

“I’m going to get you out of this,” he finally said to Lance. 

No surprise, Lance didn’t respond.

“I know you said I’m your hero,” he started before faltering. Now, Lance’s torso was sprawled next to his thighs, and he knew that’d have to be enough. If he could wake up, he could get more protection. But… The idea of even waking him up seemed torturous. He’d be in so much pain. “I hope you don’t live by that, kid. You’re growing up to be somewhat of a hero yourself, but with less of my baggage.”

And if he could keep anyone on the team from having his baggage, he’d do just that. They deserved better. They deserved to live life to the fullest without looking over their shoulder, without feeling they’ve become the enemy, the monster.

-

**_Lance could unite the team._ **

Allura needed this to be over. That way, she could stagger off to her chambers and cry. Right now, the tears brewed inside her, but she kept forcing them down. The desperation and the frustration refused to leave her alone, but she tried her best not to let them show. Otherwise, she might freak out the Red Paladin.

She felt so…  _ Small  _ right now. 

The connection with Pidge cut off, and now Pidge carried the fate of the world on her shoulders. If she let the castle get taken by the Galra, they might as well kiss any peace goodbye. They could try and fight back, but with Voltron in the hands of evil, they would never be able to triumph. 

She doesn’t know if they’d survive it, either. Lance, surely, will die if the castle got taken away. Staying alive this long was a feat in itself. When she first saw him there amidst the debris, she thought he  _ must  _ be dead. It left her heart with a strange heaviness as she looked down at him. Lance was full of life, full of heart, and while he could stand to take things more seriously, he was the most heroic today.

Well, him and Pidge will share that title. Lance saved the life of Coran, and from what it sounded like, he didn’t even think about it. And Coran hadn’t bonded with any of the paladins, not really. And Pidge would go save the universe on her lonesome because they couldn’t get the coms to work. 

If the castle flew away, though, the other paladins might die as well. She didn’t say anything. Coran didn’t say anything. But that connection with the Lions existed throughout their whole body. It changed the brainwaves, it changed the way their blood flowed. In dire situations, it worked for the best. They could help paladins fight off poison, pain, panic. But being forced to sever was always described as the most painful experience in life. It was as if someone dug around in your body and scooped out bits and pieces. 

She didn’t know if the Lions would let go in time. She heard it was a process; it took about two days for Lions to extract themselves from their paladins fully. She never witnessed it herself; every paladin she knew died with the connection to their Lion. In a way, every paladin lived through those Lions now.

“There has to be another way inside the castle, right?” Keith asked as he paced back and forth. His whole body vibrated with energy, ready to go fight anything which stood in his path. He fought the particle barrier for a while, throwing things and screaming curses. It reminded her of just how young every paladin was.

Allura shook her head. “Not with the particular barrier up.”

“Couldn’t we… Tunnel underneath?” He winced as he spoke.

Still, she treated it as a legitimate question. “The particular barrier is a sphere. It goes beneath the ground as well, so there is no way inside. It would take a ship with the force of Voltron to break it, and it would take someone on the inside to take it down. I don’t know if Pidge can pull it off on her own. She’ll need instructions, details.”

“Fuck! Everyone else is in there!” He gestured at the dome before going back to his pacing. His bayard remained on full display as he moved, and he kept swinging it aimlessly in the air. She wanted to tell him not to waste his energy, but she didn’t want to cause any problems between the two of them. 

Allura didn’t know her paladins as well as she should. 

Her father would be ashamed if he could see her. He made a point to know each paladin as a person. As he used to tell her, if he only saw them as the heroes of legend, he could never command or help them. So, he started to learn the ins and outs of every paladin, what made them tick.

She kept putting that off; she thought she’d have more time. Besides, the mice like to gossip and give away their secrets. If knowing the ins and outs of their morning routine didn’t count as knowing them, she didn’t know what would… But she realized now she needed to know more than just that. She needed to talk to them on her own, and now it felt like she might never get the chance. 

Allura claimed a rock near the castle and sat down, struggling to resist the urge to hide her face in her hands. “Keith, Pidge will be able to figure this out… I’m sure of it.”

“Really? Now you’re  _ sure  _ of it?” He huffed and crossed his arms. Still, it got him to stop pacing. She wondered if that was an improvement. Now, all of his anger appeared to be directed at her. “And what happens if Pidge can’t?”

_ Then, they’d all die. And they’d doom the universe. _

“I don’t know,” Allura said instead. “We have to hope Pidge succeeds.”

“But she won’t—”

“How do you know that?”

“Because if I was in Pidge’s shoes, I wouldn’t be able to do it!” The words hung dangerously in the air for a few seconds, and Keith’s expression darkened. He turned away from her and started pacing again. “And I know Pidge isn’t a fuckup like me, but how can she do all of this? I couldn’t even calm the Arusians down, and we’re both supposed to be Paladins. And she wanted to leave Voltron behind!”

“Keith…”

But there was nothing left to be said. 

_ - _

**_Lance could be the best paladin she ever got._ **

And Blue will be damned if her paladin dies. She crept into the holes of his subconscious, finding the cracks there. Every part of his body started to fail on him. As she slid through him, seeking out the injuries, seeking out the pain, she pulled back right before she found his thoughts. 

She will let his dying thoughts be his alone, but she still reached up into his mind, careful not to look. She wrapped her essence around him, trying to calm him, trying to soothe him. It would be okay. Everything would be okay. She will not let him die, his team will not let him down,  _ he will not die.  _

She reached into his lungs, aching from the effort, and she breathed life back.

She reached into his heart, stuttering to a stop, and she started to pulse it for him.

She reached into his open wounds, bleeding out, and she slowed the flow. 

Blue couldn’t stop death, but she could prolong death, and that would be enough… It  _ had  _ to be enough.

And the other paladins will save her paladin.

-

**_Lance could barely breathe._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, while writing this, I came up with so many different questions? Like, Altea WAS destroyed? And Coran and Allura are the only ones left? How old is Shiro? What is the numbering system, Coran? Who's taller, Lance or Hunk?


	2. Reprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it took awhile, but I finally got through the two-part episode and let me just say-- I loved every second of it.

**_Pidge will always be his little sibling._ **

He floats between dreams and consciousness, each breath rattling through his body. Everything comes to him in fuzzy snatches. Something sits, cold and wet, against his back. When he tries to figure it out, the darkness pulls at him again, threatening to take him under. He stops questioning it, and he goes back to floating.

“—up! It’s me, Pidge!”

Pidge?

The name brings something back to the surface. His communications commander, cold and distant. He thought Lance was a failure, thought he goofed off too much. They argued about it a few times… He thought Lance was trying to fail the simulations. It was the only way it made sense he screwed up so much. His…

No, wait. His  _ friend  _ now. The one with the bright eyes and an inability to care for himself. The one he caught up at odd hours, typing away at his laptop. The one who pretended to be older than he was. The one he could always count on to brighten his day, even if Pidge didn’t understand it.

The one who reminded him of his younger sisters.

Lance fights against the darkness, forces himself back into his body. He ignores the way his lungs burn and every breath comes out as a wheeze. He ignores the way the pain starts to come back to him, not in fuzzy snatches, but in daggers. He ignores the way something drips out of him, coppery.

A figure stands in front of him, holding something smaller…  _ Greener. _

Pidge.

His body moves on autopilot, his mind chanting the name of his little sibling again and again. He won’t let this figure touch Pidge. He won’t let  _ anyone  _ touch Pidge. He’s too young, too small to be hurt like that. He’s… He’s Pidge.

“Stand back!”

The shot rings through the air, and the bayard clatters out of his numb fingers. He falls back into that same puddle, eyes drooping shut again. But he needs to know. He needs to see Pidge before he falls back into unconsciousness. He… Can’t die here. Because that’s what’s happening, isn’t it? He’s dying.

The purring stops in the back of his mind, sudden enough he realizes it’s been there all along. A smile curls across his face, reaching into the warmth of Blue even as she retreats enough to speak with him.

_ (I will not let you die, my paladin. Check on Little Green.) _

Opening his eyes again hurts more than he can name. A different person stands in front of him, offering a hand. Red and black and white. Passion and safety and warmth. Keith. He blinks a few times, trying to gather his thoughts despite the fog pressing down on him. Keith doesn’t move. “Lance, are you okay?”

He takes Keith’s hand  _ (passion and safety and warmth),  _ trying to get up. Keith makes a noise in the back of his throat, pressing him back down. He reaches up with his other hand, entangling it with the one now on his chest. A blush sprouts across Keith’s face and he stammers, awkward. “W-we did it. We are a good team.”

Keith smiles after a few seconds. 

Lance tries to get up again, ignoring his sounds of protest. “Where’s… Pidge?”

“Right here.” Pidge appears on his other side, a blur of green and orange. He reaches out halfway, hand wavering and shaking midair. He blinks before grasping it, and now Lance sits between his two friends, connected to them both. And behind them, Shiro and Allura stand, worrying and scared and heroic.

He attempts a smile, turning back to Pidge. “Hi. You’re… You’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” he repeats back. “Thanks to you.” 

“What about…” His mind blurs for a second, and his vision goes fuzzy. By the time he manages to shake off the weightlessness, they’re all staring at him like he might disappear. Keith grips his hand tighter, hard enough to break through the numbness. Pidge scoots closer, choosing to grip at his face instead of his hands, forcing him to look at him instead. He gags on nothing. “S-sorry.”

“What about…?”

He remembers the flash of light. That fierce protectiveness rising up within him. The man he started to view as a friend. A mentor. The smile on his face as he led him back to the paladins, away from the illusion of the Earth. Then came the pain. And then, nothing until this moment. 

“Coran…” He glances around. “Hunk?” 

“They’re off being heroes.” Shiro’s voice rings out, and Lance adjusts to try and see better. He barely feels Keith’s arm slipping behind him, helping him to sit upright instead of slumped over. “We need to get the castle up and running. You let someone else save the day, Lance.”

“They’re…” He licks his lips, trying to make the words easier to speak. His mouth tastes like cotton. “Okay?”

“They are,” Shiro says at the same time Pidge says, “they won’t be.”

He blinks. “What?”

“If you die, they won’t be. So you need to hold on until they get back, okay? We’re…” Pidge hesitates on the next words. He shifts to glance at everyone in the room, and a smile starts to blossom. He glances away, back to Lance, before surging forward and capturing him into a hug. Keith barks out a protest, his arm twisted into it too. “We’re a family, Lance, so you need to stick around.”

“Where ‘m going?” he teases, burying his face in Pidge’s hair.

Keith clears his throat, and he sees enough to make out the bright red blush there. “I can carry him to the med bay. That way, we can put him in one of the healing pods the second it’s made available. Pidge, if you can…”

“Yeah… Yeah.” Pidge slips back and lets Keith pick up. Lance blacks out for a moment, his world tilting onto its side.

When he comes back, they’re farther down in the castle. And Keith’s staring down at him, something gentle across his face, something he doesn’t recognize.

Lance’s heart skips a beat.

In the back of his mind, he can hear Blue’s familiar purring start up again. It feels different—less protective and more teasing. 

_ (And you said we didn’t need Red.) _

“We need Lil Green more,” he slurs out, startling Keith.

Keith stares at him. “What?”

“Pidge.” And that’s explanation enough for Lance to fall back into his haze. “I saved him.”

_ (Rest, my paladin. Help will arrive soon.) _

-

**_Allura will always be his queen._ **

He wakes up as he falls to the ground.

Someone warm catches him, wrapping their arms around him. He sighs into their skin. They smell like cinnamon and an autumn’s day back home; it’s not much of a change from summer, but the sun turns kinder and sweeter, cradling its children rather than scorching them. He nuzzles deeper, trying to seek it out, trying to find that portal back to Earth through their embrace.

Behind them, someone giggles. “Good to see Lance is back.”

“Are you awake?” the woman holding him asks, her voice soft. He thinks of his mom, all soft edges but capable of the greatest fire he knows. She used to stroke his hair and sing him lullabies on days when he felt like he couldn’t wake up. She’d murmur and coo at him until his fever ebbed away. Even when he grew older, she never stopped looking for him. She never stopped caring for one of her nine children, and sickness became the greatest way to find that sweet, sweet relief.

Is he sick?

He blinks open his eyes, meeting Allura’s. A brief dagger of panic dives into him, but he swallows down and offers a smile anyway. “‘Lo, Princess.”

“Hello, Lance. Let’s get you sitting up.” She guides him through the medbay, and he marvels at the movement. He feels like he’s floating, like he’s not quite attached to his body yet. The memories of what happened before he fell asleep float in front of him, close enough to reach, but he doesn’t reach for them. 

All around him, he can make out his friends. They’re safe;  _ he’s  _ safe.

Hunk and Keith talk in the corner, and while Hunk glances over with a toothy smile, he goes back to whatever low conversation they’re keeping. Keith keeps eying Lance, biting his lip, and then looking away. He’ll have to comment on that later. Maybe make fun of him, but it doesn’t suit the mood right now. 

Coran scuttles over to him, tablet in hand. “Okay, dear boy, we’re going to take your vitals real fast. We, uh, didn’t get a chance to calibrate the healing pods for humans yet, so there might be a few malfunctions.”

Lance shrugs as he leans back, collapsing into the pillow someone propped behind him. “‘S okay. Sounds good.”

“He sounds drunk,” Pidge notes, claiming the chair by his side. Lance frowns at him. “What?”

“You look tired,” he manages to get out before the rest of the words get caught in the cotton of his mouth. He’s not wrong. Deep purple moons hang beneath Pidge’s eyes, and red streaks shoot towards his irises. Even as he moves, it comes with the cautiousness of someone who doesn’t trust their body.

He punches Lance gently. “Maybe it’s because you freaked me out.”

“Sorry, Pidgeon.” Blindly, he reaches out for Pidge’s hand. Pidge stiffens, and for a second, he regrets offering it. Then, Pidge snatches it up and cradles it between his two hands. 

The tablet beeps overhead. “Okay, good news and bad news, Number Three! I  _ might  _ have miscalibrated—”

“There’s  _ bad news?”  _ Hunk squeaks from across the room. 

Coran puts up a hand, hurrying to explain himself. Lance settles back into his pillow again, trying to get as comfortable as possible. “Brain chemistry is a little different in Alteans! We were in a tad bit of a hurry, and it shouldn’t have any lasting long-term effects! It might just be a long three days—or, I suppose, a few  _ short  _ days for Number Three right here!” 

“Coran, please, my friend. Can you explain it straight?” Allura reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder, smiling down at Lance again. Hunk practically shoves Pidge out of his seat in his haste to get to Lance. 

Hunk reaches down, covering up Lance’s ears. He swats at him for a few seconds before giving up and letting his arms flop back into his lap. He’s tired, and he can read lips decently enough. 

Coran says something, and Lance realizes he can’t read lips.

Allura reaches over and pries Hunk’s hands away. “Hunk, it’s nothing serious. It should fix itself within three days.”

“What’s wrong?” Lance mumbles, glancing up at the way Hunk’s face twists a little. Keith starts pacing, and the amount of tension crackling off him gives Lance pause. He doesn’t want to stand up, much less run a race by himself right now, so he clears his throat the best he can. “Keith.”

“What?” Keith whirls around, face going bright red. His hands ball into fists, but he must see something on Lance’s face. He relaxes slightly before going over to where Shiro has been taking it all in.

Stepping up in his place, Allura pats down the end of the cot before sitting down, gazing at Lance. “It seems Alteans function on significantly less hypocretin than humans do.”

“Hippo-what?” It sounds like one of those fancy biology terms, the kind he never learned back home. He wanted to be a pilot—it meant he should focus on math, and even then, the bare minimum of math was required. He just wanted to sit behind the wheel and be in the stars, no matter what it took.

He used to study late every night, but his house always thrummed with noise. No matter the time of day, someone stayed up to work. A few of his siblings were practically nocturnal since his oldest brother took graveyard shifts. He’d climb on the roof to study, let the hot air flip the pages and the stars be his light.

Then, he’d get distracted by the limitless sky unfolding above him—

Someone snaps their fingers, and Lance startles, eyes flying open. He hadn’t even realized he closed them.

“Hypocretin helps you stay awake and monitors your appetite. You might notice you have a harder time staying awake for these few days.” Allura reaches up and places her hands on his. “We won’t let anything happen to you. And, in the meantime, me and Coran and Pidge, if she would like, will fix the pod. The next injury that happens, this won’t be a side effect.”

“Cool.” He reaches up and squeezes her hand, startling her. “Thanks, Princess.”

“It’s no problem… I regret putting you in this situation to begin with. If you’d like, we can help move you to your bedroom instead. It might be more relaxing for you.”

“Nah…” He scoots and glances at Shiro, Keith, and Coran. “Yesterday was stressful.”

“That’s an understatement,” Hunk mutters.

“Let’s have a movie night.”

-

**_Coran will always be his friend._ **

**_Shiro will always be his hero._ **

Later, he’ll refuse to admit it, but right now, he appreciates Hunk and Shiro supporting most of his weight as they settle in the common area. Just like when they built a pillow fort ages ago, Pidge scampers off to grab as many pillows and blankets he can find. Somehow, he manages to convince Keith and Allura to come with him. Coran watches them as they set Lance down on the couch, propping him. 

The first time he attempts to say it, it dissolves into slush in his mouth. He leans his head back against the arm of the chair and drifts for a few moments before catching Coran. Swallowing, he tries again. “Uh… Hunk?”

“Yeah, bud?” Hunk crouches by his side. 

He tries for a smile, but he knows it must look dopey. The words escape him, just a little. “Can… Uh, can you grab my… My thing?”

“Your thing?” Hunk laughs, reaching up and tossling Lance’s hair. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know…” His gaze shifts over to Coran as pointedly as possible. He’d send Shiro out too, but the other man radiates with that same crushing guilt. “My thing.”

Following his gaze, it takes him a few seconds to get it. Then, Hunk nods and springs to his feet. “You got it. I’ll be right back, okay? Don’t let them start the movie without me because that’d be a crime.”

“What are we even watching?” Shiro calls as Hunk leaves.

He pauses. “Some Altean documentary, I think. The castle isn’t well-stocked.”

“Excuse me, Number Two, but the Altean documentaries are some of the finest art ever produced!” Coran puffs out his chest, and Lance sinks into that sound, letting him ramble for a few seconds. “I shudder to think of your education. Number Five was telling me about your films the other day—explosions have no place! I’d take the journey of a metal can any day! It taught us about pollution!”

“A metal can?” Shiro asks, amused. He sinks down on the opposite couch. For a second, Lance wants to ask him to sit by him instead. But, no. Hunk and Pidge will share this one with him, and Keith, Coran, and Allura will sit by Shiro. That’s always how the seven split up. Even without Allura and Coran, they insist on keeping the Garrison trio from the rest of them. That, or they end up alone.

Lance wakes up at the end of Coran’s explanation and mumbles a curse word. He needs to  _ stop  _ falling asleep if he wants to have important conversations. 

“You still haven’t explained what fuck means to me,” Coran notes.

Shiro grits his teeth. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Besides, it doesn’t really make sense out of context. It’s the same as quiznak.”

“Swear jar,” Lance says, forcing himself upwards despite the way his arms shake beneath him. Shrio starts to move, probably to help, but he waves him off and huffs. He can do this… It’s not like it’s  _ hard.  _ “Hey, Coran?”

“Yes, my boy?” Coran stood up at some point to stand in front of the screen, messing with the settings. He pulls up a screen eerily similar to Netflix; Altean Netflix, he guesses. He can’t wait to make fun of it with Pidge.

Right now, though, he needs to do something else. “Uh, I wanted… I want to say thank you.”

“What?”

“To you too, Shiro.” Lance glances at both of them, noting the way Coran stiffened in front of the screen. He doesn’t turn around; instead, he dives deeper into his search for the best documentary on there. Shiro furrows his brow and stares at Lance as if he got brain damage somewhere along the way.

Shiro leans forward. “For what?”

“For protecting me.” Lance doesn’t think he’ll ever have the full memory back. He distantly remembers being carried down the halls by someone, and he remembers Shiro shouting, but he doesn’t know what the words were. And when he woke up to take that final shot for Pidge, Shiro was right next to him, wasn’t he? The two of them were taken by the castle at the same time.

_ (The Black Lion’s paladin always protects his cubs.) _

Taking a long breath, Shiro leans back against the couch and runs a hand through his hair. “Lance… I don’t know how much you remember from that, but I was hardly a hero.”

“You were, though… You are. To me,” he insists. The passion starts to eb into exhaustion, and he huffs, shaking his head to try and clear away the fog. “Shiro, we were outnumbered. But… Uh… I don’t think I’d be here if it wasn’t for you.”

“Lance…” he says his name as if it’s an apology.

Lance doesn’t want an apology, but he can’t find the right words. Not right now. Swallowing hard, he turns to Coran instead. “And thank you too.”

“I heard you the first time, but… But I should be thanking you, not the other way around.” Coran still faces the screen instead of him. 

Fine… Fine, he can do this. Of course he gets stuck with the two people who blame themselves for his injuries. Lance glances down at the couch before swinging his legs to the side. His vision blacks for a second, and he gasps as he almost falls off. Once again, though, he waves off anyone’s help. “Coran, please. You got the healing pod up and running, and you made sure I was fine afterwards, and I don’t even  _ care  _ about the stupid sleep thing, maybe it’ll convince Pidge and Keith they need to sleep too, so—” 

“You saved my life, my dear boy. And you’re so young. You have so much more to live for than me. I’m just an… You are so young.” Coran crosses the room, finally, to push him back into the couch. He pouts for a second, but he accepts it when Coran sits down beside Shiro. The two of them keep an uncomfortable amount of space between them. He’ll never understand how people don’t crave the warmth of others, the subtle touches. Then again, he grew up in such a big house, he ended up sitting on the laps of others as a joke or leaning against their legs when their couch ran out of room. “For that, I don’t think I will ever be able to thank you enough.”

“Coran…” He fishes for the words, hating the way the sleep still clung to him. He’ll need to fix this eventually. At some point, he’ll have a legitimate conversation with both of them, but he needs it to be said right now. “I wasn’t even thinking about that. I just… I just thought you were my friend. I  _ think  _ that. So why wouldn’t I try and save you?”

He didn’t think he’d get injured that badly. He didn’t think everything would sting and fade to black after that. Lance saw Rover, and he moved. Saying anything else painted him out like some kind of hero, and it wasn’t being heroic. He thought he was saving both of them. He doesn’t know if he’d do the same thing if he knew he’d almost die…

The second the thought crosses his mind, he knows it’s wrong. He’d do it again and again if it meant he could keep any of these people safe. They mean the world to him, and he knows they’ll be the ones who save the universe. He just… He protects the protectors. He cheers up the saviors. Maybe it’s not the starring role he assumed he’d get in saving the universe, but he does more help this way. 

Lance doesn’t mean much. 

But Voltron means everything.

Coran hesitates before nodding. “I understand that, but… But don’t do that again. You have too much left for you.”

“So do you!” He gestures around the common room. “You have all of us! And, uh, you’re going to be there for us now. Like you already are.”

“What do you mean—?”

“You have a life ahead of you. You’re going to journey to different planets. And when we eventually go back to Earth, you get to hang out with us too. And maybe we’ll journey too. There’s a whole galaxy between here and Earth.” It scares him, it freaks him out beyond measure, but in some twisted way, he also knows it’s reassuring. Because it means they still have a whole galaxy worth of adventures left. 

Lance twists before Coran can reply, too determined to stop. “And Shiro, you can’t be expected to be a one-man army. That’s why you have all of us! And… And I appreciate you somehow being a one-man army anyway. Because I wouldn’t be here without you. So… So you’re going to accept my thanks. Both of you. It’s nonnegotiable.”

The words hang there for a few moments.

“And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a tiny nap before the others get back.” Lance flips around and almost brains himself on the arm of the couch. It’s not nearly as comfortable as it should be. He understands they want to have the sleek, space aesthetic, but they could really calm down about it. Comfort over beauty.

The second he closes his eyes, though, he hears a huff of laughter from Shiro. “He’s such a teenager.”

“That he is. He’s a wise one, though, that’s for sure.” Coran’s voice drifts away, and the buttons from the Altean-Netflix screen start to beep. “All of you, Number One, are true paladins of Voltron. I can’t imagine anyone else being here.”

“Is he really like the Blue Paladin? He cut off Allura when she first started to explain it to us. What was it he said?” Shiro’s voice holds a smile, and Lance feels his own smile start to twitch to life. 

And even though he’s pretending to be asleep, he says it out loud anyway. “The most handsome and best pilot.”

“The real description isn’t nearly as flattering.” Coran hums as he taps at the screen. “It takes someone free-spirited and empty-minded.”

Lance flinches. He turns, offering Coran a sleepy glare. “What?”

“Yeah… I don’t know who came up with that particular adjective, but I don’t care for it. I, personally, find you extremely intelligent in all the ways that count,” Shiro says, offering a gentle smile.

Lance huffs and pouts back at the ceiling. 

He falls asleep faster than he expected.

_ (Coran waits until Lance stops moving around to finish the description. After all, he could tell the excitement wore him out, and even as Lance made his thank you speeches, his words had started to slur together. “That’s not the only way we described the Blue Paladin back then. It just seemed to suit the greatest amount of people… Oh, Lance would have loved Blaytz. He was a bit of a fool, but he never failed to lighten the mood. And he never minded being called empty-headed. He always said people thought too much.” _

_ “I don’t know much about the old Paladins.”  _

_ “Well, I imagine the princess hasn’t been especially forthcoming. It used to be much harder to reunite the Paladins, so she did not meet many of them. She did meet Blaytz… Whether or not she’d admit it, I see a lot of him in Lance.” Coran smiles to himself before finding the documentary he wanted to find. Allura wasn’t fond of this one, but he knew the other paladins would get a kick out of it. And it might be the only way they can convince Allura to let them watch it. After all, her biggest threat is Lance, who fell asleep already. _

_ Shiro nods. “Who was the former Black—” _

_ “We used to say the Blue Paladin had the greatest potential for greatness. After all, they tended to learn whatever skills they could to help out. They’re a supporting role… Them and the Yellow Paladin alike. We lucked out that they’re so close.” Coran tries to hide his sigh of relief when Shiro doesn’t press on the Black Paladin from days of old. He assumed that was something they didn’t need to address, not quite yet.  _

_ He didn’t even know if Allura knew about it. _

_ Shiro nods at the sleeping boy. “He’s turning out to be one of the strongest on the team. I’m almost scared to see him grow up more.” _

_ “Don’t be scared. It’ll be one of the greatest experiences of your life.” Coran smiles down at him before striding back to the couch. He’ll have to wait until the others return to start the documentary. Then, he might find a convenient excuse to make himself scarce— _

_ The Black Paladin glances at him and contemplates something. “You and Allura should stick around this time. You’re always finding excuses not to stay… I’m sure the other Paladins will appreciate it. Especially if this documentary looks as promising as I think it does. _

_ Coran glances up at it. “I can’t promise there won’t be a murder if I stay.” _

_ But who wouldn’t want to watch  _ **_The First Years of the Altean Princess_ ** _? It was, personally, one of his favorites.)  _

-

**_Hunk will always be his brother._ **

“You’re taking up the whole couch. Scoot.” Someone shoves his legs off, and Lance startles awake as he falls on the ground. Above him, Pidge offers his biggest shit-eating grin before starting to stack cushions up to make a taller base. On the other side, Hunk does the same, but he offers a half-hearted shrug.

Lance mumbles something, but the words don’t form, and he doesn’t remember them anyway as he flops on his stomach. He reaches out and grabs the ankle of the person standing in front of him. “Bullshit.”

“What?” Keith twists around, giving him an irritated glare as he tries to shake his ankle free.

Lance latches on tighter, the potential of a fight shaking the rest of the sleep out of him. “No shoes in blanket fort. ‘S gross.”

“Good thing I’m not staying—”

“You’re staying.” Lance lets go and spins over to where Shiro has started stringing blankets up. Pidge starts cackling on the other side—someone doesn’t approve of the methods being used to build it. “Shiro, tell Keith to stay because I’m sad and injured and recovering, and I need everyone here to do that. Like, scientifically speaking.”

“How is that scientific—”

“As the scientist on the team,” Pidge says, “I can second that.”

“I can also confirm,” Hunk says, subtly adjusting Shiro’s work when he starts on the next section. Allura and Coran both laugh before resuming a quiet argument as they block out the Altean-Netflix. “If it makes you feel better, you can sit on the opposite side of the blanket fort. I call dibs on being next to Lance. He doesn’t starfish like Pidge.”

“Starfish?” Shiro asks, amused.

Hunk nods solemnly. “I always wake up with one of their limbs in my face.”

“What? I’m a restless sleeper!” He pouts before finishing his side. Hunk and Pidge stack one last column up in between the couches before draping and merging all of the blankets into a roof.

Lance grins up at it as he scoots back. He’ll lean against Hunk for the film. Everyone knows Hunk’s the best pillow out of the whole group. Shiro just looks vaguely uncomfortable when anyone leans on him, and besides, Lance couldn’t sleep on his hero. That crosses way too many lines. “What are we watching?”

“The First Years of the Altean Princess—”

“Coran!” Allura screeches, all composure lost. She goes bright red and starts fanning at herself, embarrassed. “Please, do not make me watch this. It was embarrassing enough the  _ first  _ seventeen times you and Father showed my friends.”

“The cinematography though…” Coran sighs before nodding. “No, of course. If Lance doesn’t want to watch it—”

“I want to watch it!” Lance claps, excited. “Please, Princess! Pretty please with a cherry on top!”

“He’s so annoying,” Keith grumbles as he shucks off his sneakers and sits down, stiffly, next to Shiro. Hunk slides down next to Lance, and he leans against him in that same second. Pidge hesitates for a few seconds before choosing to sit right next to Keith instead of with Lance and Hunk.

Hunk leans forward, whispering. “You missed it. Keith and Pidge bonded.”

He twists around. “What? Since when?”

Allura gives up on the fight, and she sits next to  _ Lance.  _ His heart stops for a second. Then, Hunk brings him back. “When we got you into the healing pod. It was really cute. I should’ve gotten a video. They’re friends now.”

“Thank God. Only one person can be mad at Mullet,” he whispers back before staring at the back of Allura’s head. His fingers twitch. Well, if he’s milking his injury for all it’s worth, he might as well go for it, right? “Hey, ‘Llura?”

“Yes?” She glances at him. 

He nods at her long hair. “Can I braid it?”

“Oh… There’s a lot.” She gathers it into a ponytail, almost subconsciously, and she starts to fiddle with the ends. “I don’t think I’ve braided it in a long time. My arms always get exhausted halfway through, and it’s always easier just to throw it up in a bun. I suppose if you want to, I wouldn’t mind but…”

“Do you remember when you did everyone’s hair for Halloween?” Hunk asks as Lance slides forward, already gathering Allura’s hair. He’ll French-braid it; it’s been awhile since he’s gotten a chance to do this for anyone. “And then you insisted that nobody was allowed to pay you for it.” 

“It was  _ Halloween.  _ Easily one of the best holidays down on Earth!” They’ll have to celebrate it. He decides in that moment when Halloween rolls around, he’ll force them all to suffer through it.

Pidge snorts. “He was just trying to hit on the girls at the Garrison.”

“Careful. I got some good gossip about you.” He winks at him, but they both know it’s true enough. When he got to play hair stylist on one of the few days they got off at school, they always fed him little bits of gossip. Not much of it focused on the three of them… Though Hunk was a heartbreaker.

Speaking of Hunk, the other boy sighs. “See, this is nice. What if we didn’t constantly fear for our lives and did movie nights instead?”

“Oh, see, that’s tempting.” Pidge snorts. “I don’t think we could ever pull it off though.”

“It’s a nice in between,” Allura says after a few seconds. She wasn’t kidding; her hair is almost  _ impossible  _ to braid with the thickness of it. He knows a few girls back at the Garrison who would murder her for it.

Hunk nods. “I mean, sure, but also, we should get a vacation soon.”

“We should—”

“But, uh, when Lance recovers, I actually have a mission for us.” 

Lance turns around, raising an eyebrow. “I wasn’t expecting that from you.”

“Well, I think it’s going to need Voltron. Uh, Coran knows what I’m talking about, and I figured I’d tell you guys right now. Before we get too comfortable, you know?” His smile wavers a little.

Lance snorts. “Now who’s looking for adventure? Don’t start the documentary yet. I want an explanation.” 

-

**_Keith will always be… Keith?_ **

“I’m not tired.”

“That’s—You’ve  _ been tired.  _ How am I supposed to believe you?” Keith stopped looking at him during this argument awhile back. Now, he keeps his bayard out and keeps slashing at the training dummies. He advances the levels almost every night; the only one close to beating him on these simulations is Shiro, and even Shiro takes time off training.

Lance shrugs. “I slept all day! Now, I’m going to party all night!”

“Party in your bedroom.”

“But then I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to.” He reaches over to where he stashed his bayard when he first came down. If Keith wants to ignore him, fine. He’ll make it that much harder. As one of the dummies sneaks up behind him, Lance readies his rifle and fires off one neat shot from the sidelines, taking it down.

At the hiss, Keith whirls around. His cheeks go bright red. “Hey! Allura and Shiro put you on bed rest. I thought you’d  _ enjoy  _ the chance to be lazy.”

“Are you calling me lazy?” He tries for nonchalant, but his voice wavers. Luckily, Keith doesn’t pick up on it. The best part of being friends with Keith is his inability to read Lance. He already puts on a pretty good brave face. The only person who calls him out on it is Pidge on the rare occasion, and even he hesitates a lot more these days. He’s getting better at concealing that doubt.

Blue roars in the back of his mind. He shushes her, trying to wrap around her presence, but she snakes away from him again. Before, when he first started to bond with Blue, he never thought she’d be able to call him out on his bullshit. She knows his mind, knows his thoughts, and while he knows how to put up a decent wall, she keeps him more conscious these days. 

Keith huffs. “I’m saying this is your chance to do your annoying beauty routine or… Or whatever else you do at night! You don’t have to stick around me! I’m not… I’m not that interesting, and—”

“Well, who told you that? I think you’re perfectly interesting, Mullet. Speaking of that, you never did tell me what inspired that haircut.” Lance leans back and squints at his hair, pretending to cut it off.

Reaching up, Keith runs a sweaty hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up in every direction. It’s surprisingly… Hot? “When are you going to leave me alone about that?”

“When I die!” he chirps out.

The other boy stiffens, though, and marches back towards the training dummy. He watches Keith for a few seconds, watches as his cuts become more and more reckless and sporadic. The words hover on the tip of his tongue before he swallows them down. He needs to think before he acts.

Blue purrs, coaxing him to try again. “You know you’re not getting rid of me that easily, right? I plan to stick around for a good, long life. Retire and raise an army of Lances to bully you because you’re  _ also  _ sticking around.”

“What’s your last name?” Keith blurts.

Lance pauses. “What?”

“When you were in the healing pod. I, uh, was thinking about that one day we had, talking about nicknames and all that, and if you didn’t, you know…” He waves a hand over Lance as if it provides explanation enough. In a way, he thinks it just might. “I don’t think I would’ve known who to contact. And, uh, I know Hunk is around, so I wouldn’t have to reach out, I’d be shit at it—”

“You want me to talk about my family? You might want to sit down.” That, and his pacing starts to wear on Lance’s nerves. He slaps the bench right next to him, and Keith perches on the very end. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Lance slides down until their thighs brush. “Okay, where do I start? Last name? Last name, cool. It’s McClain.”

“Lance McClain,” he says, rolling his name in his mouth. “Huh.”

“Your last name is Kogane,” Lance continues, enjoying the way Keith startles. “What? You don’t think I pay attention to you guys? That’s the name you were always listed as on the simulators. Kogane, K. My biggest rival in the  _ universe.” _

“Well, that makes me seem like a jackass. I didn’t mean… I…”

“You don’t pay attention to a lot of people.” With a shrug, he tries to catch Keith’s eyes. Then, he offers a bright smile to try and chase that worried frown settling there. “I’m kinda flattered you want to know now. Let’s see… my family—”

The words stop, running into each other, right before he starts speaking. Lance and Hunk both kept the days marked since they left Earth, and the others avoided it as much as possible. Pidge wouldn’t go back down until he found the rest of his family, and Shiro stayed too committed to his heroic duty. Keith never seemed to want to leave, and he didn’t want to unpack that. 

But Lance and Hunk had people to return to. His parents both waited down there with his eight siblings. He was in the exact middle of his family. All of his older siblings started accomplishing bigger and better things—Veronica comes to mind first. She went to the Garrison, and he was committed to being just like her. And his younger siblings were little devils who wanted the world, and he wanted to give it to them…

Lance knows all of his family by heart, but staring at Keith, he almost doesn’t want to say it. “You know, if I die—”

“Lance…”

“If I die,” he continues, louder than Keith, “I want you all to go to my house. You don’t have to give them exact details. You just have to give them the basics, and then, I dunno… Meet them? They’re some of my favorite people in the whole world. And I’ll tell you about them, soon enough, but…”

“But?”

“But it’s not going to be because you’re worried I’m going to die.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “It’s going to be because you want to know them better. Because you’re my family too.”

“What?” Keith’s cheeks flare red, and he glances away.

Lance nods before getting to his feet, giving the most dramatic yawn he can manage. “Come with me. Do some stupid beauty routine and cheer up. But I’m not… My family is a happy topic. Not a ‘I’m scared to show up at the doorstep and tell them how their son died as a legendary hero to us all.’”

“A legendary hero?” Keith smiles down at his feet.

He winks. “I’m your legendary hero, aren’t I?”

And as he drags Keith to his feet, he almost misses the mutter. “Yeah… You are.”

-

**_Blue will always be his._ **

He sneaks into the hangar after Keith falls asleep on his bed. Lance took a photo before he rushed through the castle, the first time in ages he truly felt alone. While he loved all the attention from them, while he loved how much they made it obvious they cared, he’d appreciate a chance to take a breath.

As he stands in the hangar, enjoying the burn in his lungs from the fresh, fresh air, he starts picking his way through the Lions. Blue almost always claims the spot closest to the exit. She wants to go out and fly, play and dodge and weave through space. The others all sleep right now, but Blue’s eyes light up when she sees Lance.

“Hey, beautiful,” he calls.

_ (Hey, handsome.) _

“You flatterer!” Laughing, he closes the distance between the two of them. She bows her head and allows him entrance to the cockpit without a moment of hesitation. He pats her nose a few times before retreating inside. “Hey, I heard a rumor, you know.”

_ (Oh?) _

“Allura said Lions can keep their paladins from dying.” Something strange hits the air, a mix between uncomfortable and proud. Reaching out, he starts to stroke her console until it surprises a purr out of her. “Thank you.”

_ (You’re my paladin.) _

“You didn’t have to—”

_ (I did. You have too many people to let down by dying.) _

“Oh? I’d be letting people down? Well, I’ll think about that next time… Until then, I think I’ll take a little cat nap.” He winks up at her as she laughs. 

-

**_Lance will always love his team—_ **

**_Lance will always love his family._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there was a lot more Keith and Lance than anyone else, but you can't look at the bonding moment and tell it's NOT the beginning of a great love story.


End file.
